How Choose a topic of interest, spend a little time researching it, have a discussion then publish the notes.

Why The main benefits are the fostering of a greater understanding of the world before we die and hopefully, to prompt further thought and discussion from our listeners.

The topic we will be fiddling with in this episode is Feminism

Topic Overview

Since time immemorial and throughout the world women continue to struggle against sexism, sexual violence, misrepresentation, economic inequality and social exclusion. The term 'feminism' appears to many as a collective term for the fight against these affronts. Should all gender designations in the West become feminists or has it become a victim propaganda gone too far?

Off-topic

What we’re not talking about

Jeremy Corbyn

Talking Points

Each bullet is a talking point. Sub-bullets are topics that may or may not be covered. Usage: Read the bullet and sub-bullets then talk about some or all sub-bullets.

Warning This is a Western perspective discussion!

Definitions

Feminism ‘The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.’ - oxforddictionaries.com

The issue of rights for women first became prominent during the French and American revolutions in the late 18th century. In Britain it was not until the emergence of the suffragette movement in the late 19th century that there was significant political change. A ‘second wave’ of feminism arose in the 1960s, with an emphasis on unity and sisterhood; seminal figures included Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer.’ - oxforddictionaries.com

Sexism ‘Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.’ - oxforddictionaries.com

Gender equality The view that men and women should receive equal treatment, and should not be discriminated against based on gender.

Equality

White male privilege

Is there any profession that bans women?

Women have babies

I wouldn’t employ a woman (this is Geoff talking). They have babies and are essentially on gardening leave for god knows how long. And you can’t fire them lest you want some kind of world of pain.

The makeup issue

Emily Heist Moss ‘to hell with all the truth-covering face paint.’

Accountability

Infantilising women by moving personal responsibility to others

Statistics & the Media

Rape: ‘Approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales alone every year; that's roughly 11 rapes (of adults alone) every hour’ - Rapecrisis.org.uk which links to ‘An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales’ (PDF) on the Office for National Statistics web site. The report states: ‘It is estimated that 0.5 per cent of females report being a victim of the most serious offences of rape or sexual assault by penetration in the previous 12 months, equivalent to around 85,000 victims on average per year. Among males, less than 0.1 per cent (around 12,000) report being a victim of the same types of offences in the previous 12 months.’

The Independent’s coverage of International Woman’s Day 2014 ‘Globally, about one in three women will be beaten or raped during their lifetime.’Citationn. A source so cited; a quotation.

‘4. You think it’s pretty unfair that women effectively work from 4 November until the end of the year for free because of the gender pay gap; and that female managers “work for free” for nearly two hours a day; and that the pay gap [broken link] is even wider for women of colour and disabled women.’

First comment: " You think it’s pretty unfair that women effectively work from 4 November until the end of the year for free because of the gender pay gap; and that female managers “work for free” for nearly two hours a day; " I wonder how many more times this needs to be disproved before it sinks in

Backlash

Women against feminism

Personal responsibility

From Chrissie Hyndes memoir ‘Reckless’, about a sexual assault when she was 21: “You can’t paint yourself into a corner and then say whose brush is this? You have to take responsibility. I mean, I was naïve.” She followed up these remarks by saying that women who dress provocatively in public are to blame for their own attacks, culminating with: “You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him.”

From Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s Guardian article Aug 31: ‘Hynde underwent a traumatic sexual assault when she had barely reached adulthood. How sad that she has blamed herself for it for more than 40 years, when the responsibility lies – as it does in all cases – with her attackers.’

Is merely talking about such things somehow unethical?

I get the feeling that questioning certain tenets of feminism makes one a terrible human (if male)

Would I be a filthy anus to notice that attractive women tend to be less bothered by the things that annoy feminists?

Glossary

Manspreading The practice of sitting in public transport with legs wide apart, thereby covering more than one seat.

Rape Culture A setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality.

Wrap Up

Details about site, contacts, next show: Near Death Experience

Outro music choice - something open source or out of copyright so we don’t get sued

Pianist and composer Clara Wieck-Schumann wrote her first concerto at 14. Married Robert Schumann when she was 21 and with whom she composed and performed. Clara stopped composing at 36. Quotation: "I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose — there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?"Scherzo no. 2, Op. 14 performed by Luis Sarro from https://musopen.org